Blue Morpho Spiral

4' X 6', Acrylic on Canvas

Copyright 11/12/02

$1,500.00

This canvas was inspired by the hurricanes along the eastern seaboard of the United States and the Blue Morpho butterflies in Costa Rica. I have revisited this species to create a series of spiraling paintings that are meant to be a mantra for meditation. I am currently beginning to compose my paintings on the computer to lay out a variety of possible views of natural subjects and then use those compositions to create the large canvases of my subjects by hand with paint and brush. This is opening a whole new world of possibilities with the medium of the computer and traditional media of paint and brush.

Morpho Violacea

4' X 6', Acrylic on Canvas

Copyright 4/16/02

$1,500.00/SOLD

This beautiful butterfly is one of the Morphos, meaning "beautiful" or "well-made". This particular variety is native to Brazil, where, when a member of certain tribe dies, a sacred dance is done that imitates the powerful flight of the Morpho, to symbolize the soul that has left the body for distant places. The colors are caused by microscopic striations on the scales, which refract only the blue rays of the color spectrum. The males, the subject of this piece, are more brilliantly colored than the females. This piece is another in a series of paintings I am composing on the computer and then making by hand with acrylic on canvas. The meticulous jeweled patterns of colors are done with thousands of small dots applied by brush to emulate the iridescence of the Morpho.

24" X 36" Poster for $15.00

Original 4 x 6’ painting in the collection Wave Riding Vehicles

An Original Acrylic on Canvas, 4' X 6'

Original 48" X 72" Acrylic Painting donated to WRV

This beautiful image is will soon be available in November, 2002, as a 24" X 36" poster, printed, using a waterless color technique that is environmentally friendly. If you would be interested in getting a poster from the artist you can email him at: edobermeyer@cox.net

Bajo Paraiso Del Mar is Spanish for "Undersea Paradise". I have always been an active member of our marine science museum and an avid waterman through years of surfing. A passion for ocean life was the driving factor for the creation of this piece as well as the complexity of textures and colors exhibited by undersea life. The opportunity to explore the nuances of various brush strokes and patterns associated with replication and stylization of these creatures was a constant source of entertainment and challenge for the artist. Naturally, all of these creatures would never be seen together in one place, however, the artist has taken the opportunity to put many of his favorites into a surreal and fanciful environment of color and space where all is harmonious. Painterly abstract brush strokes contrast with the loose atmosphere sprays of the airbrush that culminate into layers of soft and hard contrast. Some of the images are realistic, while others remain highly stylized and patterned for a pleasing visual effect of calmness and serenity.

Poster= $15

Shipping= $6.95

Total=$21.95

Hurricane Painted Lady

Sold In The collection of

Katrina Dorroh

37" X 43"

$1,500.00

This painting was inspired during the summer of 2001 in our garden where we have planted a wide variety of plants and shrubs to attract butterflies. I was just amazed to see so many Painted Lady butterflies on our Ligustrum shrub at one time. There were hundreds at some periods of the day enjoying the blooms while zooming in and out of the shrubs. I was seeking a new direction in my paintings this year and after watching the local hurricane forecasts, I thought that would be a unique format to present my wildlife images. This is the beginning of a series that will show a variety of wildlife species in a circular format, reminiscent of a hurricane weather pattern. I have nearly abandoned the airbrush and am pursuing more painterly brushlike qualities that are more expressive. 

Butterflies of The Mid-Atlantic

4' X 6', acrylic on canvas

$7,000.00

©2000

After a spectacular summer in our butterfly garden we began to see the results of our labors. This canvas reflects my fascination with all of the various species found in our backyard throughout the season. Very little airbrush was used for effect. The marking on the canvas with the brush enabled me to immerse myself in a sea of pattern with no beginning and no end.

Birdwing and Friends

4' X 6', acrylic on canvas

$5,000.00

©1999

Afrter reading about the Birdwing Butterfly found in New Guinea, I became very excited about the different patterns and textures of this exotic butterfly and how it looked so different in every situation. This species has suffered from the destruction of its forest habitat and the activities of collectors. Some of the other butterflies were also from Malaysia and the Phillipines. The entire painting was 95% hand painted with brush and only 5% painted with airbrush. My more recent works have evolved into works that are the result of mostly the paintbrush with little or no dependence on the airbrush.

Blue Mood

4' X 6, acrylic on canvas

$4000.00

©1999

My interest in this painting was to create a mood with the blue butterflies and blue computer chip pieces. The brush strokes on the butterflies are mch looser than on the computer chips which point to the difference between technology and nature. Technology is so rigid and structured in contrast to nature, which is free flowing and wild.

This image was also published in the 2003 "A Tapestry Of Knowledge", a publication of Virginia Beach City Public Schools.

Arenal Waterfall 2

4' X6', Acrylic On Canvas

©1999

In this painting I have gone back to traditional airbrush applications and combined them with hand painted realistic images from the Costa Rican Rainforests. What is unusual here is that I experimented with stylized templates I made of plants from tagboard and used them to stencil the background. The hand painted images in the foreground contrast sharply against this stylized background.

Computer Bug Series #2
Vertical Takeoff

SOLD

This painting continues to explore the connection between technology and nature by juxtapositioning images of computer chips against butterflies from around the world. The diverse collection of butterflies reflects the wide diversity of cultures on our planet and how they are affected by technology. Combinations of mostly paintbrushed images and subtle airbrush overtones work together to present a somewhat cubist, fragmented world of colors, shapes, forms and species of exotic butterflies.

This painting was also the cover art for the 2003 "A Tapestry Of Knowledge" by Virginia Beach City Public Schools.

Leopard Frogs

4' X4', Acrylic On Canvas

©1999

$500.00

Fascinated by the leopard frog varieties in my backyard pond I decided to create a piece that reminded me of their beautiful textures and habits. The way they pop in and out of the rocks to reveal the sun glistening on their beautiful reticulated patterns is revealed through the faceted layering of different views of the frogs. The backgrounds were freehand airbrushed and the frogs were paintbrushed to create a more realistic effect.

Dragonflies

4' X 6', acrylic on canvas

$2,500.00

SOLD

©1998

This particular summer was ablaze with dragonflies in our garden and the painting reflects the varied textures, patterns and glistening wings of different species. I had never realized how many different species there were of just one insect! I have gone with airbrushed backgrounds on paintbrushed subject matter the develop contrast with the dragonflies from their environments.

Scarlet Macaws

4' X6', Acrylic On Canvas

SOLD-In the private collection of Bobby Mellati

During several of our trips to Costa Rica, my wife Kris and I have been blessed with beautiful close up encounters with Scarlet Macaws. At Bosque Del Cabo on the Osa Peninsula, while sitting outside our bungalow, we could hear the squawking of these incredibly beautiful birds in the trees outside our window. They would come in close to snatch fruits from the trees and explode in a furry of rainbow reds, blues and yellows when we got too close to them. We also learned that they are rapidly becoming endangered and that their nesting areas are threatened by poaching collectors desperate for money.

I wanted to dedicate a painting to this beautiful bird but also wanted to do some very different things with the image to make the viewer wonder what was going on. In school, we are taught that large images come forward and that small ones recede in space. I have done just the opposite to intentionally create a disturbance and to stimulate inquiry by the viewer. I have intentionally left out a complete image of the Macaw to make the viewer want to see more. The message here is that there may be no more Macaws if others do not get involved in their preservation.

Butterflies Of The World

4' x6', Acrylic on Canvas

SOLD-$1,300.00 (In the collection of Dr. David Burton)

Each year when I travel to Costa Rica and also here in Virginia Beach, I see hundreds of different species of butterflies. After seeing several butterfly farms in Costa Rica and in America I created the smooth rhythmic movements and highly contrasting patterns of bright colors that inspired me in this painting.

In this piece I have combined images of butterflies I have seen in real life and some I have only seen in books. Since we only see quick glimpses of them in nature before they fly away I have fragmented the canvas into small facets of butterfly memories. Each piece, like the butterflies themselves, gives the viewer a quick glimpse of the subject and then your eye is forced onward to another. Shadows have been juxtapositioned under each fragment to add depth and contrast to the individual pieces and to give unity to the piece. Some of the fragments give the viewer all of the visual information they need to determine the species and others tease the viewer into wondering what the species is.

Arenal Waterfall

3' x4', Acrylic on Canvas

SOLD-In The Collection Of The Rainforest Alliance, Manhattan,NY

©1997

During one of our visits to Costa Rica we stayed at the Arenal Observatory Lodge at the base of the Arenal Volcano. While there we hiked through the rain forest to a beautiful secluded waterfall that we had all to ourselves. On the way there, we saw a wide variety of birds like the toucan, trogon, parrots, and hummingbirds. The path was littered with beautiful flowering wild orchids, heliconias, and ginger plants. As we got nearer to the bottom of the path, we could hear the roar of the waterfall and feel the cool mist. Epiphytes and ferns were everywhere, and of course, the tiny poison frogs in all of their glorious color.

Rather than depicting the waterfall as it really was, I have tried to include as many of our rainforest friends as possible to give a feeling of fantasy to the painting. To us, it was heaven and we had it all to ourselves, alone. Our memories of the waterfall are of all of the many birds, animals, and plants we saw, but mostly, they are filled with the feelings of serenity and peacefulness of this heavenly place. It was so exciting to sit in the stream and feel the freezing cold water rush from the falls bounce against our bodies. We would then walk towards the tidal areas where the water was so hot it actually boiled from the heat of the volcano. In between was a perfect sauna like hot tub, au natural. For a little while, we had gone to heaven.

Dendrobates Auratus The Green And Black Poison Frog

3' X5', Acrylic on Canvas

$1,300.00

©1997

This poison frog resides in the country of Panama and ranges all the way up to Nicaragua and Costa Rica. It is bright glossy black or deep brown. A pair of broad irregular metallic green stripes runs across the lower back and over the snout. Similarly colored bands are on the arms and legs. In some species the entire back glows with a golden sheen which is why it was named Auratus (meaning golden).

Auratus likes to travel along the leaf litter of the rain forest but can also be seen as high as 10 to 15 meters in trees, where it places its tadpoles. I encountered my first green and black poison frog in the summer of 1996 while visiting the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. We first saw them in an area known as Matapalo, on the Golfo Dulce. We were walking through the forest in the streams searching for frogs to photograph, when suddenly through the dark brown leaf litter I saw the amazing fluorescent green stripes on the black body. First there was one, and then another. Before we knew it they were everywhere!

I have faceted the canvas here into a multitude of green hues that reminded me of the species. Their black eyes against the black bodies seemed particularly malicious, yet fascinating. I am continuing to place the sharper hand painted images against the softer airbrushed images for dramatic effect.

Mabry Mill

Four Feet by Six Feet

Acrylic on canvas

$4000.00

SOLD

Heliconia Con Las Ranas (Heliconia With Frogs)

The Amazonian Poison Frog (Dendrobates Ventrimaculatus)

3'x5', Acrylic on Canvas

$3000.00

©1997

In this painting I wanted to show the various patterns and textures of the Amazonian Poison Frog juxtapositioned against the heliconia plants, which is where so many poison frogs can be found in the rainforest. The heliconia is actually considered a weed by most of the locals in Costa Rica, but there are hundreds of different varieties of the plant, mostly identified by their beautiful flowers known as inflorescences. The reproductive organs of the various species are contained in the flower bracts located in the cup like areas of the inflorescence. Poison frogs can be seen (as well as tree frogs) in the bracts because they contain water from rain fall and are often ideal places to lay eggs for many frog species. These flowers are open only for a single day and then fall off, only to be replaced by more flowers. These plants are native to the tropics but can also be found in cloud forests but few grow at elevations greater than 6,000 feet. According to Fred Berry and John Kress, authors of Heliconia, An Identification Guide, there are over 500 species of the plant in existence today.

The frog in the painting is the Amazonian Poison Frog (Dendrobates Ventrimaculatus). It is found in the upper Amazon drainages of Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, as well as in French Guiana, with a few scattered populations in the Amazon basin proper of Brazil. The arms are covered with small black spots surrounded by a pattern of metallic blue-white lines. Dendrobates Fantasticus is also in this same family of poison frogs. The males usually favor bromeliads as the focus of their life, often spending months at a time in the water inside the funnel of the bromeliad. These frogs are quite small and if you were to hold one of these frogs, he would be no larger than your smallest fingernail. Connecting the patterned lines and spots of the frogs in the painting generates eye movement and contrast with the heliconias.

Phyllobates Vittatus The Golfodulcean Poison Frog Code

4' x6', Acrylic on Canvas

$1,500.00 SOLD

©1997

Found mostly along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica in the Puntarenas Province this species is most easily distinguished by the wide, bright metallic orange dorsal stripes on a black back combined with finely dotted bright green hind legs. It has two bright orange stripes from the snout to the tail. Most of the colors are metallic. It is mostly a ground dweller.

While searching the streams on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica, I found this creature hiding under a rock and some leaves. He let me photograph him for over an hour and when I put my hands out towards him he jumped in my palms and then leapt into the water. When I ran out of film, I made the trek back up the cliff to our cabin. When I returned he was still perched on his rock with his hands folded as if giving me a sermon. I found it amazing that I could be gone nearly an hour and this little creature was still in his territory in the exact same location.

Dendrobates Azureus

4' x6', Acrylic on Canvas

$2,500.00

©1997

This is the third painting of Dendrobates Azureus, the poison frog found in Surinam near the Brazilian boarder in South America. My previous color experiments with this species on canvas were restricted to a deep blue palette to create a mood of depression and loneliness. I have utilized a more textural and colorful background behind the frogs to liven up the mood a bit and give the viewer as many views as possible of the species. The emphasis of wetness on the surface of the frogs and the backgrounds was established by painting small dots of reflected light throughout the canvas.

Amphibians III Dendrobates Azureus The Blue Poison Frog

4' x6', Acrylic on Canvas

$1,200.00

©1997

This painting depicts the Blue Poison Frog, Dendrobates azureus, also known as the Dyeing Poison Frog. It is similar to D. Tinctorius which is also bright blue but has yellow stripes down the sides. It is found exclusively in Surinam near the Brazilian border. It ranges in size from 38 to 45 mm long. In the Blue Poison Frog the bright blue-black arms and legs contrast with the paler, more sky-blue, almost unmarked sides and a similarly colored head and back covered with a reticulation of large and small round black spots (actually the black background color showing through). The belly is paler blue with a variable arrangement of round black spots especially on the breast and sometimes a darker blue midbelly stripe. This particular species is quite popular with hobbyists and it is often bred in captivity where its color fades with increasing generations in captivity.

The frogs are found under rocks and other cover, especially moss, near but not in the streams. They are mostly terrestrial but have been seen up to 5 meters high in trees, so they probably climb like D. Auratus to deposit tadpoles in tree holes. Ants and termites have been found in their stomachs.

In this painting I have tried to utilize the concept of facet cubism used by cubist masters Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque to convey multiple views of a single species. Since the D. Azureus is found in so many layers in the forest, it seemed natural to depict him in a multilayered format.

Fragmented Hummers

4' x6' Acrylic on Canvas

$2,000.00

©1997

This painting is dedicated to my wife Kristine, who has a passion for hummingbirds. While in the rainforests of Costa Rica and at the Hummingbird Gallery in Monte Verde, we experienced hundreds of different types of hummers. They began to land on KrisÕs hand and the look of wonderment on her face inspired me to create this painting for her so that she would always have them to look at. These wild creatures were so tame yet so quick. I have tried to capture their luminous metallic wing textures that we could see daily in the Monte Verde Cloud Forest.

The backgrounds were freehand airbrushed and the birds handpainted and airbrushed over to soften the lines and textures. This piece required many layers of paintbrush and airbrush overlays until I achieved the desired effect of the undercolors on the surface colors. I was particularly fascinated with the paintbrush strokes on wet areas and how they could blend together to create the wing patterns. This required the use of my entire brush arsenal but resulted in a wonderful textural experience.

The Owl Butterfly

4' X6', Acrylic On Canvas

$2,000.00

©1997

The most startling pattern in nature has got to be found on the Owl Butterfly in Costa Rica. Each year I cease to be amazed at the intricately beautiful lines and patterns created on their wings. They remind me of ancient tapestries and have been woven into my mind after every trip.

In this piece, I have fragmented the image of the owl into a circular format of eyes peering out at the viewer inviting them into a swirl of pattern that engulfs them in a sea of siennas and yellow ochres, contrasted against the harsh blacks and striking whites. The painting was first created entirely with the brush and then airbrush was used to soften the brush strokes and smooth the transition from fragment to fragment.

The Big Three

The Splendid Poison Frog (Dedrobates Speciosis)

The Granular Poison Frog-Green Jeans (Dendrobates Granuliferus)

The Strawberry Poison Frog (Dendrobates Pumilio)

4' X 6', acrylic on canvas

In the private collection of Bobby Melatti

During our 1997 trip to the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica, my wife and I encountered a guide who took us to an area where we could get close up photos of Dendrobates Granuliferus. The walk through the jungle at Tiskita Lodge was paved with all sorts of exotic fruit bearing trees brought in by its owner and after going down steep hills of green forest and red earth we could hear the pinging of the frogs. Our guide Luis was careful to point out the sounds to listen for and before we knew it, he had a poison frog in the palm of his hand. He let us touch and photograph it. The frog's beautifully textured granular back glistened in the dim light like a tiny jewel.

Later we visited a serpentarium in San Jose and saw the other two species indigenous to Costa Rica. We had actually seen and touched the three most popular poison frogs in Costa Rica! The experience excited me so much that I immediately began this piece upon my return to the United States.

I could not resist giving the viewer a visual representation of the tactile qualities of these frogs. Every glistening drop and brilliant red and orange color had to be just like the real experience we had gone through. The fragments are a vehicle to keep the viewer's eye roving around the canvas in search of the next little frog and to get a different textural experience in each piece.

Dendrobates Fantasticus (The Red-headed Poison Frog)

4' x4', Acrylic on Canvas

$950.00

©1997

I have used a square format in fragmented form to display the irregular but beautiful patterns of this poison frog found in the province of San Martin on the eastern slopes of the Andes in Peru. This species has a crown on his head reduced to two large black spots on a deep golden yellow head.

Dendrobates Tinctorius The Dyeing Poison Frog

4' x6', Acrylic on Canvas

$2,000.00

©1996

This is one of the hardiest and most brightly colored of all the Poison Frogs. They are 34 to 50mm long and smooth skinned. This species was introduced to Europeans over 200 years ago and today is found only in the humid forests of the Guianas, being found in French Guiana, Surinam, and British Guiana on the northeastern shoulder of South America. They can't be found south of the Amazon basin. No two species are exactly alike. They are typically blue-black frogs with strong yellow, yellow-white, or blue-white patterns.Usually the back from the snout to over the tail is yellow, the sides are black, and the belly is either black or yellow, with our without a dark or light spotted and reticulated pattern.

The Blue Poisson frog is very similar to this species but can be told apart by the hunchback posture of the Blue Poisson frog which Dendrobates Tinctorius does not share. All of these species are under threat from development and overcollecting by hobbyists.

It is usually found in leaf litter but has greatly expanded finger discs and is a good climber. It can often be found on the sides of trees and in heavy vines 1 or 2 meters above the ground, where its bright yellow stripes stand out in the darkness of the forest. The bright color advertises its poisonous nature, and it has few predators. Its diet consists mostly of ants, just like the other poison frogs.

Variations of the species have been found in northern Brazil, French Guiana, the Table Mountains in Surinam, and French Guiana. Because they are large and colorful, and quite hardy in captivity, this species is often sought after by collectors. The word Dyeing refers to the common and scientific names of this frog. For over two centuries there have been legends that Amerindians of various tribes in the Guianas and the Amazon used animal concoctions of various types to change the plain green feathers of parrots into red feathers. Dendrobates tinctorius was the frog used in the Guianas to produce the color change, a technique called tapirage. The living frog or a tincture of frog skin and blood was rubbed on the selected area of the parrot where a color change was wanted. The parrot had to be young, and its original green feathers had to be plucked. When the new feathers grew in, they would magically be bright red or perhaps yellow. Since the feathers became dyed, the name stuck. Scientists have yet to prove this theory true.

The Resplendent Quetzal

4' X 6', Acrylic on canvas
$3,500.00 
Copyright 1996

Revered by the pre-Columbian cultures throughout Central America, the resplendent quetzal has been called the most beautiful bird on earth. Ancient Aztec and Maya Indians believed the quetzal protected them in battle, and even the bird's brilliant breast plumage has an Indian legend to explain it: When Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado defeated Maya chieftain Tecun Uman in 1524 near what is today the town of Quezaltenango, Guatemala, the maya chief was mortally wounded in the chest. Tecun Uman's protector quetzal covered the dying chieftain's body, and when, upon Tecun Uman's death, the quetzal arose, the once white-breasted bird had a blood-red breast. So integral a part of Guatemalan culture is the quetzal that its name is given to that country's currency. 

About the size of a robin, the males of this species have brilliant red breasts; iridescent emerald green heads, backs, and wings; and white tail feathers complemented by a pair of iridescent green tail feathers that are nearly two feet long. These birds live only in the dense cloud forests that cloak the higher slopes of Central America's mountains. Throughout their range, quetzals are endangered, and though many areas of cloud forest have been preserved as habitat for these beautiful birds, researchers have recently discovered that the birds do not spend their entire lives within the cloud forest. After nesting, between March and July, quetzals migrate down to lower slopes in search of food. These lower slopes have not been preserved in most cases, and now conservationists are trying to salvage enough lower elevation forests to help the quetzals survive. Hopefully, enough land will soon be set aside to assure the perpetuation of this magnificent species of bird. 

Though for many years, Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve was the place to see quetzals, throngs of people crowding the preserve's trails now make it difficult to see any wildlife. Other places where you are more likely to see quetzals are in the Los Angeles Cloud Forest Reserve near San Ramon, on the Cerro de la Muerte between San Jose and San Isidro de El General, in Tapanti National Wildlife Refuge, and in the Chirripo National Park. 

Heliconia

3' x4', Acrylic on Canvas

$2,000.00

©1996

The flowering part of the heliconia is known as an inflorescence bract. They are large erect herbs often with extensive rhizomatous growth. Hundreds of Heliconia varieties exist in Central and South America and in this painting I am showing some of the creatures that set the stage for life on this magnificent plant. On the lower left is a purple throated mountain gem hummingbird. Hummingbirds help pollinate the plant with their long curved bills. Heliconias depend on various pollinators to reproduce their long tubular, curved flowers (known as bracts). Probing the base of a flower, hummingbirds find a trove of nectar just for them. Some of the other hummers in the piece include the Violet Saberwing in the center, the Frivoles hummingbird at the top center and the Green-crowned Brilliant on the lower right.

On the lower left perched on a leaf of the heliconia is a Green Anole lizard. In the lower center is a Red-eyed leaf frog which lays its eggs on the leaves of the plant. Heliconias are also hosts to a variety of other species such as invertebrate communities like flower fly larvae and mites. Even tent ba

ts reside on the undersides of the leaves creating umbrellas by chewing the veins on either side of the midrib until the leaf collapses. The bats are safe from sun, rain, and predators. What is most surprising to me is that the Costa Ricans consider this plant a weed, and indeed it is prolific in the forest. They are native to Central and South America and some islands of the South Pacific. They are remarkable plants, not only for the beauty of their flowers, but also for the fact that so little is known about them.

Blue Morpho, 36 X 36, Acrylic on canvas

Blue Morpho (Morpho Peleides)

3' x4'

Acrylic on Canvas

$2,500.00

I first experienced the blue morpho in Panama in the early 1970Õs when I had seen hundreds of them at once. The forest was ablaze with a streak of blinding blue light.

In Costa Rica, we have seen many of them, although never in the quantity that I had seen in earlier years. Their color is a brilliant blue and in this painting, I have created a montage of them to stimulate the viewers eye. My goal was to create an intermingling of pattern found in the blues, reds, and blacks on the wings. The rhythm of the pattern keeps the eye flowing over the piece.

Dendrobates Reticulatus, The Red Backed Poison Frog

4' x6', Acrylic on Canvas

$2,000.00

This beautiful little frog has a bright orange upper back and head surrounded by reticulation of black lack spots (often fairly large) on a blue-green to greenish white background. This reticulation continues over the rump and the limbs and also occupies the belly. There is also a bright orange spot on the chin. The red-backed Poison Frog is found in the wet rainforests of Peru at elevations between 400 and 800 meters. It dwells in trees in epiphytes and bromeliads.

The adults are quite aggressive and are known to display cannibalistic tendencies. These frogs are quite small (14 to 16mm in adults) and therefore are extremely difficult to find. One would have to climb into the canopy and search the bromeliads and epiphytes for this minute creature.

I have divided the canvas into multifaceted areas to give multiple views of this specimen. The patterns and colors of Dendrobates Reticulatus in contrast with the vibrant greens in the backgrounds are intended to provide the viewer with a neon like sensation when observing the piece. The colors produce a nightmare effect with black malicious eyes piercing through the facets of bright green and red-orange. I have adjusted my painting palette so that it constantly heats up and cools down with color and textural variations.

Amphibians
3 1/2' X 6', Acrylic on canvas
$3,500.00
Copyright 1996

These colorful frogs adhere to trees with little suction cup-like discs on their toes.


Dendrobates Reticulatus, - Red -Backed Poison Frog 
Dendrobates Lehmanni, - The Harlequin Poison Frog 
Dendrobates Auratus, - The Green and Black Poison Frog 
Agalychnis Callidryas, - Red Eyed Tree Frog 
This painting is an eclectic mix of frogs that would never be seen together. It is important to note that most of these frogs are no bigger than your small fingernail in reality. Mixing them up in this humorous format is meant to be playful and educational to the viewer. Here is a little information on each of the species in the piece: 
 

Dendrobates Reticulatus 
The Red-Backed Poison Frog 

This is the one with the tadpoles on its back. This beautiful little (14-16 mm in size) poison frog is one of the most easily recognized species yet for years it was put as a synonym of D. Quinquevittatus complex of species, and in many ways it is intermediate between D. Fantasticus and D. Sirensis. The upper back, including the head, is bright orange, surrounded by a brilliant reticulation of black spots on a blue-green to greenish white background. This reticulation continues over the rump and the limbs and also occupies the belly. It is found in the wet rain forests of Peru, mostly in the northeastern part of the country at elevations between 400 and 800 meters. It is a tree-dweller, hiding in the dense assemblage of vines, bromeliads, and other epiphytes on tall jungle trees.

Dendrobates Lehmanni 

The Harlequin Poison Frog 

The Harlequin Poison Frog is one of the most variable of frogs, and there is no doubt that Lehmann's Poison Frog is closely related to D. Histrionicus. Seemingly restricted to the Anchicaya Valley near Dagua, Colombia, this relatively large (31 to 36 mm.) black and orange poison frog first came to scientific attention through specimens collected for the pet trade. The skin is smooth, the first finger is slightly shorter than the second, and histrionicotoxins are absent. Basically it is a glossy black frog encircled by two broad bright orange bands, one behind the head and the other over the hump of the back. The orange bands often are irregularly broken by black. The pattern continues across the belly, though it may be quite irregular there. The arms are encircled by orange, as are the legs. There are a wide range of pattern variations in this species, making it difficult to identify. 

They are found at elevations between about 850 and 1200 meters and active during the day. It is usually found on the ground but can sometimes be found in trees. They are extremely delicate and usually become injured easily when captured.

Dendrobates Auratus, 
The Green and Black Poison Frog 

This frog can be found from Panama to Nicaragua. I personally saw them along the Atlantic Coast of Costa Rica while searching the stream beds along the Osa Peninsula. They have a pattern of broad irregular metallic green stripes running from the lower back forward to meet over the snout, while similar green bands are on the lower sides and on the tops of the arms and legs. Across the middle of the back is a wavy green band that intersects the dorsal stripes and usually breaks them, leaving about three large oval black spots covering the back and irregularly joined to the stripes on the lower sides. There are dozens of pattern variations of this same species.

Agalychnis Callidryas, 

Red Eyed Tree Frog 

This popular species has often been confused with poison frogs but is a harmless exotic looking creature that can be found in many areas of Costa Rica. It is especially prolific in the Monteverde area of the country.

Amphibians II

Agalychnis Callidryas, Red Eyed Tree Frog Various Tree Frogs

4' x5', Acrylic on Canvas

$1,500.00

Red-eyed Leaf Frog - Agalychnis Callidryas

It is nearly dusk, and a musical ritual is about to be repeated high in the canopies throughout the tropical rain forests of Central America. One by one, and then in chorus, the red-eyed tree frogs fill the air with raucous croaking. The males plummet to the low-growing foliage beside streams or pools of water, calling to attract females; in their frenzy to find mates, they resort to wrestling other males. Even the slightest movement may prompt two or three to pile on top of each other.

The red-eyed leaf frog is colorful in both appearance and breeding habits. A male calls from the vegetation above a pool to attract a female. Once the two have paired, the female, with the male clinging to her, makes her way down to the water-but not to lay eggs like an ordinary pond frog. Instead, she absorbs water to fill her bladder. She then lugs her mate back up over the pool, where she lays her eggs on a leaf as the male fertilizes them. Water from her bladder causes the jelly around the eggs to swell, forming a protective barrier. About five days later, the tadpoles hatch and drop into the pool, where they later transform into little frogs.

By laying its eggs on vegetation above a pool, a red-eyed leaf frog keeps them out of reach of many predators.

Rainforest

In the collection of Ken Gordon

3' x4', Acrylic On Canvas

$1,500.00

©1996

After having traveled so many times to Costa Rica I wanted to create an eclectic mix of my favorite rainforest animals. Most of these creatures would not be seen together but I saw them all in one great trip and have taken the opportunity to create a visual experience based on that trip.

The background was created with a freehand airbrush technique to emulate the vibrant greens found in the rainforests of Costa Rica. The handpainted plants and animals contrast with the freehand background to give the viewer that shimmering quality found so often in the forest. The ginger plant in the center of the composition draws your eye to the other animals with its pointed leaves, sending the viewer on a visual trip to the other species hiding in the shadows.

Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica SOLD

In the collection of Tyler Dorroh

© 1996

Acrylic on canvas,

36" X 48" (Reduced from $2,000.00)

$500.00

This was based on our first trip to Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica near Tabacon Springs in the gorgeous mountains of central Costa Rica. We visited Monteverde on the same trip and saw the famous resplendent Quetzal, hummingbirds, and an amazing assortment of wild animals and plants.